Parents on zero-hours contracts will be eligible, as are those who are registered as self-employed

One parent is employed and the other parent has either: substantial caring responsibilities and/or disability; is a foster carer with their own three-and four-year-old children

A child needs to be between 2 year and 10 months (i.e. the term when they have their 3rd birthday, so that they are ready to claim 30 hours right from the start of their 1st term) and 3 years and 364 days (i.e. 1 day short of their 4th birthday). This is because HMRC have only allowed parents of essentially ‘3 year olds’ to get their 11 digit codes first. HMRC will raise the upper limit to include older children shortly.

Parents may buy in additional sessions between 8.00am and 8.45am and 2.45pm and 3.30pm/5.00pm.

Parents/carers attending a 30hr place must provide children with a healthy packed lunch each day which must be brought into school at the start of the morning session.

Only an eligibility valid code will guarantee the funding of the additional 15hrs under this entitlement and it is the parent(s)/carer(s) responsibility to provide this. The school will not hold a place for a child whose parent/carer is still ‘applying’ or ‘re-applying’ or has lost their eligibility code.

The DfE released a guide for parents on how to retrieve their HMRC eligibility codes for the 30 hours free childcare if they applied online and for whatever reason still don’t have their code. This contains the telephone helpline number (0300 123 4097) too for those who cannot seem to get the online system working.